In the opening practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, George Russell showcased impressive speed, leading the Mercedes team to a top-two finish. Russell edged ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli, with the reigning World Champion Lando Norris finishing in third place.
Japanese Grand Prix Practice Highlights
The Suzuka Circuit hosted the 22 drivers on a picturesque Friday morning, following consecutive races in Australia and China. The drivers aimed to further understand their new-generation cars.
Initial Session Developments
- A queue formed early at the pit lane as teams chose hard compound tyres.
- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari traded the first benchmark times.
- Aston Martin gave Third Driver Jak Crawford the opportunity to drive Fernando Alonso’s car during this session.
Throughout the session, various teams utilized aero rakes and flow-vis paint to gather data for future analysis ahead of the Miami race in April. Notably, Isack Hadjar from Red Bull experienced a concerning snap of oversteer early on, reporting brake issues that affected his performance.
Pace and Performance
As the session progressed, Leclerc managed to improve, reducing the gap between the top four drivers to just 0.079 seconds. However, Russell reclaimed his lead by switching to soft tyres, setting a time of 1m 31.666s, which put him ahead by over two-tenths.
- Russell’s fastest lap was briefly surpassed by Antonelli, after Russell went wide on a flying lap.
- Albon faced challenges as he tested upgraded suspension but encountered a near-crash incident at Degner 2.
In the final minutes, Russell held onto his position despite Antonelli’s strong efforts. Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri also had a solid session, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Final Standings
| Position | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.666 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:31.692 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:31.900 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:32.000 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32.050 |
Max Verstappen finished in seventh place. Albon’s collision with Sergio Perez at Degner 2 will be investigated post-session.
Looking Ahead
As the teams wrap up this first practice session, FP2 will provide another critical opportunity for data collection, set for 15:00 local time. The weekend promises further developments as teams prepare for the race ahead.
